What term describes the process of incorporating new information to adjust one's current understanding?

The correct term for the process of incorporating new information to adjust one's current understanding is accommodation. This concept, rooted in cognitive psychology, refers specifically to the adjustment of existing cognitive structures or frameworks when new information is introduced that does not fit into what one already knows.

For instance, if a child who knows that all birds can fly encounters a penguin, they must accommodate this new information by adapting their understanding of what defines a bird. Instead of forcing the new information to fit into their preconceived notions (which would be assimilation), the child alters their existing schema to include flightless birds.

Accommodation is fundamental to learning and cognitive development because it promotes flexibility in thinking and allows for a more nuanced understanding of the world. It contrasts with the other terms, as integration typically refers to combining knowledge in a cohesive way, assimilation involves fitting new information into existing frameworks without alteration, and modification suggests changes but lacks the specific connotation of adjusting cognitive structures that is critical to accommodation.